Heber River, Vancouver Island.

Looking across Star lake, Gold River.

Arriving back on Vancouver Island after a bit of time in England visiting family and friends. I got in touch with Shayne Vollmers to see what was up on the paddling scene. I was in luck as Shayne, Carrie, Jakub, and members of the AKC, Peppi, Klaus, Antje, and Thorsten where heading up to Gold River on the west central part of Vancouver Island.

So after seeing my parents for just over a day I was off. Jumping in Shayne's Delica we headed up to Gold river at 10pm on Friday night. Found a nice cozy(not) logging road to sleep on beside the Heber river.

With a bit of a late, around 10am, start the next day we decided to do the Lower Heber run. This is a great section of whitewater with three short canyons and some small boulder gardens in between. The first canyon has a couple of grade 3 drops, the second canyon has one grade five drop and some nice class four drops, and the third canyon just sort meanders along. A nice morning warm up. Afterwards it was off to the Ridge Pub for a light lunch and a pint of beer. We decided at this point to try in get in two more runs that afternoon.

Located in the Gold River area are some great rivers, not only are there five sections on the Gold river, there is also the Upana, Ucona, Heber and some others that are currently being explored out toward Tahsis.

Myself, Peppi, and Jakub headed off after lunch to the Upper Heber run which is just around 1km long. Has a nice 4m drop on it. Meanwhile, Shayne had gone to do a run on the middle Gold with Carrie. Later we plan to meet and do a run down the Upana river.

The run down the Upana is great. It was 3yrs since I was last here and it was still as much fun as I remember it. A 9m, almost blind drop that you scout from this big pile of rock in the middle of the river. Later another 4m drop and lots of little drops and boulder gardens in between. The run took us just under and hour down 2.5kms.

Not a bad way to spend my first Saturday back on Vancouver Island.

The sign that has been slightly modified at the power generating station on the Heber river.

Camp set up at Star Lake. Photo by Peppi.

Boats loaded and getting ready for the Heber river.

Thorsten on line in the first canyon of the Heber river.

Jakub Drenc ripping in usual form.

Nicolaus Jrummer lining up for the nice drop on the first canyon of the Heber.

Nicolaus boofing off a fun drop. Photo by Peppi.

Nicolaus styling in the Burn.

Peppi seal launching around the more serious drop in the middle canyon.

Peppi boofing his SCUD on the double drop in the second canyon.

Antje Boehm launching off the first drop. Photo by Peppi.

Shayne Vollmers coming down the last of the big drops on the Heber river.

Photos by David Prothero